GLENDALE, Ariz. -- When shortstop Zach Neto was asked about his expectations for the Angels this season, he dropped a little nugget about a change that has been made in the clubhouse this year.
When manager Ron Washington addressed the team before their first full workouts on Feb. 17, he announced a new rule that players are no longer allowed to be on their cellphones at their lockers in an effort to build better team chemistry. Veterans such as Mike Trout and Kyle Hendricks have enforced the rule and it¡¯s gone over well with the players and will continue during the regular season. The fine for being caught is $500.
¡°I feel like we're gonna shock a lot of people and I've been saying it the first day we got here on camp that our clubhouse is in a better spot than what it was last year,¡± Neto said. ¡°It could be with Wash¡¯s new rule of not using their phones in here. We¡¯re building relationships and talking to all the pitchers from a position-player standpoint. It¡¯s just different.¡±
Trout, a 14-year veteran and 11-time All-Star, said he¡¯s also noticed a difference in the way the players are interacting this year. He believes it¡¯s helped them become more tightknit and there hasn¡¯t been any pushback by any of the players. They can still use their phones outside of the clubhouse but just can¡¯t be sitting at their lockers scrolling through social media or watching videos.
¡°It's been good,¡± Trout said. ¡°The guys are interacting more. I think the biggest thing we're working on this year, just building that family chemistry, getting everybody on board.¡±
Players still do their crossword puzzles, play Sudoku or read books at their lockers but they aren¡¯t distracted by their phones. Lefty Jos¨¦ Suarez, who has worked hard to become fully bilingual, is among the players who is seemingly at a different locker every day chatting with different teammates. And lefty Reid Detmers is next to veteran catcher Travis d¡¯Arnaud and Hendricks and is often talking baseball and life with them before games.
¡°For me personally, and I know other guys have said it's actually brought the team way closer,¡± Neto said. ¡°Everybody's just talking to each other and just having conversations with each other.¡±
Veteran lefty Tyler Anderson said it also gives players a reason to be away from their lockers and utilize the club¡¯s brand new performance center to get ready for the season.
¡°It¡¯s better because it just keeps guys out, moving and doing stuff instead of just sitting there,¡± Anderson said. ¡°I feel like just sitting there doing nothing is a big deterrent to success.¡±
Washington said he first instituted the rule when he was managing the Rangers from 2007-14. Veterans like Michael Young, Adrian Beltr¨¦ and Ian Kinsler enforced the rule for a $500 fine, and he believes it helped them build the chemistry that led to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and ¡¯11.
¡°It's not punishment,¡± Washington said. ¡°It's just trying to keep them focused. You can use your phone when you come in, take it and you can leave the clubhouse and you can use your phone as much as you want. It¡¯s to get them more focused on what we are supposed to be doing.¡±
Washington said it¡¯s ultimately up to the players to enforce the rule and that he wants them to fine him if he ever breaks it. Of course, players can use their phones in case of emergency but otherwise have more time to focus and not deal with any distractions.
¡°That clubhouse is for Mike and he¡¯ll run it how he wants to run it,¡± Washington said. ¡°That clubhouse is for Hendricks. He can run it how he wants to run it. And for all the veterans we got on this team to run it the way they want to run it. Mike and them will determine that -- determine what they might want to charge.¡±
Neto said he loves the fact that the front office went out and added so many veterans this offseason such as Yusei Kikuchi, Kenley Jansen, Jorge Soler, Tim Anderson, J.D. Davis, Kevin Newman, Yo¨¢n Moncada, Hendricks and d¡¯Arnaud to supplement and help mentor their young core.
¡°I feel like it's pretty special having this group of guys,¡± Neto said. ¡°We¡¯ve got young guys and older vets. And I feel like it's a pretty cool mix. And everybody likes each other, man. It's what it's all about. Going out there in the game, it's a good vibe.¡±